As we're preparing for snow this weekend I can't stop thinking about the fact that I was in a tropical paradise just a few days ago. We celebrated the New Year in Turks and Caicos Islands this year and were greeted with Christmas trees adorning the beaches as we stepped off the plane. It was something so foreign to me because I have never been to a tropical place during the holiday season. We adjusted pretty quickly. As we entered the lobby, we smelled the fresh pine of a Christmas tree mixed in with sunscreen and pina colada.

The kids immediately threw themselves in the water because you just can't resist that calming blue/green sea and that sand that is so soft and white.

Our days consisted of swimming, laying in the sun and playing racquet sports in the sand. We would have contests all day to see how long we can go back and forth. We go up to 108 volleys. Pretty impressive, I thought.

I have never spent New Year's Eve on a beach before. All of the resorts on Grace Bay had fireworks going off in a line with dance parties on the beach. Everyone started to gather on the beach at about 11:30 trying to get a spot on the sand. There was a huge bonfire with music and dancing and right at midnight all of the fireworks went off. FYI, if you plan to travel to the island for New Year's, make your reservations early because they book up fast. We found that out when we got there. We ate at this great little Italian place, LUPO, that had room for us - definitely recommend it.

On New Year's Day we did a kayak tour through the Mangroves of the island. You could choose to kayak or paddle board. We split right down the middle and took 2 paddle boards and 2 kayaks and switched it up. We saw turtles and baby sharks as we were paddling through and yes the mama sharks were not too far away we learned after we finished the tour.

Needless to say, we had a great family vacation and were so lucky to be there all together. It was a great time to unwind after the busy holiday season and focus on the little things in life that make us happy - family, love, and peace and we can't forget the beautiful weather!